Military Prints by historical artist
David Rowlands by Cranston Fine Arts the military print company.

David Rowlands has had a
passion for sketching British soldiers and their equipment ever since he
was a boy. After completing his studies at Manchester University in 1977,
he joined the staff of the Reading Room at the National Army Museum,
working full-time as a professional artist. Keenly interested in the
history of British campaigns, uniforms and tactics, he has painted many
historical battle scenes with great attention to accuracy and detail. This
has resulted in widespread recognition of his work with the result that he
has been commissioned to record the activities of many Regiments in the
present day. These commissions have taken him frequently to Northern
Ireland, as well as Germany, Cyprus, Hong Kong and Gibraltar. In 1991
David Rowlands was the only artist invited by the Army to visit the Gulf.
Attached to a Warrior crew of 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of
Fusiliers, he observed the work of the various Arms at first hand,
enabling him to complete many accurate paintings for Regiments and Corps
engaged in the conflict. Early in 1993 he was the first war artist to
visit Bosnia and record the British troops in Operation GRAPPLE 1. Invited
by Headquarters National Support Element, he travelled extensively on
convoys and sketched the operations from Split to Vitez and Travnik.
Several paintings have been commissioned by the participating units,
including one of 7 Armoured Workshop REME at Gornji Vakul. Over the past
ten years David has been sent regularly to Iraq and Afghanistan for
projects involving many of the British and Nato forces. He has probably
spent as much time overseas gathering information for these projects as he
has spent in the UK. He is certainly one of the major military artists of
the past 20 years. Many of these fine paintings are now available as
signed edtion art prints and canvases.

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On 9th August 2003 there was widespread and violent disorder across Basrah due to fuel and electricity shortages. In the suburb of At Tannumah a large crowd gathered outside the Iraqi police station. While his company commander sought support from the Iraqi police, Company Sergeant-Major Leigh, with only some 30 soldiers and three vehicles, faced a crowd 300 strong. The rioters were throwing a hail of bricks, then surged forward in an attempt to overwhelm the police station. Sergeant-Major Leighs small force held them back, but came under small arms fire from gunmen behind the crowd. Despite the disparity in numbers, and sensing that his small party of Queens Lancashires were isolated on the far bank of the Shatt Al Arab, with reinforcement unlikely, Sergeant-Major Leigh seized the initiative by rapidly advancing into the crowd to disperse them. One of three grenades thrown by the Iraqis wounded him in the legs. Despite his injuries he led his 30 men in the subsequent baton cha.........

The Allied breakthrough into the Normandy plain, against heavy German opposition. Filed marshall Montgomery claimed that Operation Goodwood had two major aims - the first being to break out from the beaches and the other to destroy the German armoured reserves and draw them away from the US forces that were preparing for Operation Cobra in the western sector. The plan for the breakout began with a massive aerial bombardment, using the strategic air forces large bombers to decimate the German defending forces then Lt-General Richard OConnors VIII Corps comprising three whole armoured divisions - 11th, 7th and Guards - and spearheaded by Major-General Pip Roberts 11th would then rush forward, overwhelm the defending Germans and causing the armoured forces to move forward and break out from the beach areas. To cover the flanks the Canadians would fight their way to Caen, while the British 3rd Infantry and 51st Highland Divisions would cover the left flank, and move further eastward.

The 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment at the Battle of Sittang Bridge, Burma, February 1942 by David Rowlands.

In December 1941, Japan entered the Second World War and invaded southern Burma. 17th Indian Infantry Division withdrew to the Sittang River to prevent the Japanese reaching the bridge first, which would have allowed them free access to Rangoon. 2nd Bn The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was rushed from India to join the rearguard.The river, spanned by the railway bridge, was fast-flowing and nearly 1000 yards wide. The bridge was prepared for demolition. Troops mainly from the Indian Army were defending the bridgehead, having suffered severe casualties during a fighting retreat over many days. By 22nd February the Divisional commander decided that he had little choice but to order the demolition of the bridge, knowing that two-thirds of his Division would be stranded on the far bank.As the two central spans of the bridge were blown, the exhausted troops continued fighting to prevent the Japanese securing the bridgehead. This allowed many troops to continue to cross the bridge with t.........

Between 27th March and 4th April 2003, C Squadron The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was attached to 40 Commando Royal Marines on the Al Faw peninsula, Iraq. Corporal Justin Simons was the squadrons recovery mechanic and Corporal James Garrett was the commander of the squadrons Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle - CRARRV. On 30th March, 2nd Troop C Squadron was supporting a Royal Marines clearance operation near Abu Al Khasib - Operation JAMES. A Challenger 2 tank became decisively engaged by the enemy, both its tracks were thrown and it was disabled beside the causeway. Corporal Garrett was tasked to recover it. As darkness fell and under attacks from rocket propelled grenades, small arms and mortar fire, Corporal Simons took charge of the recovery operation. He and Corporal John Morgan dismounted, while Corporal Garrett provided close protection by operating the machine-gun. The tank was successfully winched onto the road, but then became stranded in an even more dif.........

Heavy Mortars of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps in action at Mount Igman, Bosnia, August 1995. by David Rowlands.

August 1995: Eerste Mortier Compagnie Korps Mariniers, Operatie PEGASUS. Mount Igman, near Sarajevo. The British and Dutch artillery, established on the commanding feature of Mount Igman, were firing down at the Serbs who were besieging Sarajevo. This was known as Operation PEGASUS. The artist was based with the Royal Artillery on Mount Igman, and through the initiative of Lt Colonel Patrick Cammaert RNLMC, this painting was commissioned by the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. The No.1 commanding the nearest mortar (holding a white notepad) is Korporal Gaspers. Rocky outcrops of limestone are scattered about the ground. The Commander-in-Chief Royal Netherlands Navy, Vice-Admiral L. Kroon, presented the painting to the Commandant of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, in the presence of HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, at the opening of the new Museum of the Korps Mariniers in Rotterdam, 8th December 1995.

In 1857, during the Indian Mutiny, the 5th (Northumberland) (Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot was part of Major-General James Outram's little force which fought its way to Cawnpore, where the haggard remnants of Major-General Sir Henry Havelock's regiments had been besieged by the mutineers. Then together, their combined force marched on 21st September, in a deluge of rain, to attempt the relief of Lucknow. They fought their way across a flooded landscape towards the Alam Bagh, the Prince of Oudh's garden palace, where 12,000 of the enemy barred the way, with their cannon commanding the road. The Alam Bagh was a very large enclosure, with a wall all around it. At each of the four corners of the wall was a two-storeyed tower. There was a gateway in the centre of each side of the wall. In the centre of the enclosure was a palace, the Bara Dari. On 23rd September, the British force advanced and drove the sepoys from their position. The 5th Regiment, on the right, with the 7.........

27th February 1991: After crossing the breach into Iraq, the logisticians carrying combat supplies drove for hour after hour to keep up with the battle groups, following tracks in the sand. The relentless speed of the advance meant there was little time for sleep. This painting shows 14-tonne Bedford trucks carrying ammunition (with an extra pallet of ammunition on the top); TTF bulk fuel tankers of 9 Squadron RCT; and DROPS vehicles carrying Rocket Pod Containers for the MLRS. Flags were flown for extra identification purposes. WO1 (RSM) Ian McLachlan and Lt Col Philip Chaganis RCT stand beside an Iraqi trench system. They wear temperate camouflage pattern NBC suits, and helmets with desert pattern camouflage cover; 1958 pattern webbing and ammunition pouches, with respirator pouch at the right hip. The RSM cradles his SLR while the CO has a Sub-Machine Gun (SMG). A regimental pennant flies from the radio mast on the side of the FFR Land Rover. The motorcyclist also wears an N.........

The Madras Foot Artillery at the Assault on Chin-Kiang-Foo, 21st July 1842 by David Rowlands.

21st July 1842: When bad feeling arose over trade relations between the Honourable East India Company and China, an expedition was mounted to re-establish trading facilities in certain Chinese ports. A force of infantry was accompanied by units of the Royal Artillery and Madras Artillery. An amphibious attack was made up-river towards Canton in 1840, and after first taking the forts which defended it, the city itself was eventually captured. After taking Amoy, the British force moved back to establish itself in Canton. Then, the entire British force sailed to capture Shanghai. Proceeding up the river Yangtse Kiang, the fleet anchored abreast of the city of Chin-kiang-foo, at the foot of whose walls lay the grand canal. On 21st July 1842 all the troops were disembarked and took up their positions. Colonel Montgomerie, who commanded the artillery brigade, placed his guns in a strong position on a low hill commanding the Western gateway and walls. The infantry escaladed the North angle o.........

During the 2nd Mahratta War, Major General Sir Arthur Wellesley (later, the Duke of Wellington) commanding a small British force was greatly outnumbered by the Mahratta army which faced him in Berar. Seeing two villages on opposite banks of the Kaitna river, he correctly deduced that a ford lay between them. Crossing the ford with his troops, he deployed to face the enemy with his right and left flanks protected by the Juah and Kaitna rivers. The enemy were only able to deploy a small part of their force in the intervening space. A formation of Mahratta cavalry charged the 74th Highlanders in flank and began capturing some of the British guns. In response, Lt Colonel Maxwell advanced with his cavalry brigade, which consisted of three regiments of Native Cavalry and the 19th Light Dragoons and charged the enemy's left, driving the Mahrattas into the river Juah. This river had less water in it than the Kaitna, and had very steep banks. The dragoons crossed the river and charged, dri.........

The recovery of LCpl Edwards Warrior, Gonji Vakuf, Bosnia, 13th January 1993. On 13th January 1993 there was severe fighting in the town of Gornji Vakuf, when a column of armoured vehicles of B Company, 1st Battalion The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment arrived. Lance Corporal Edwards was the driver of a Warrior, call sign Two One. His driver's hatch was open, and as he crossed the bridge over the river a sniper shot him. His Warrior veered towards the left and came to a halt. Inside the vehicle, the soldiers were unable to contact the driver. An MRRV (Mechanized Repair and Recovery Vehicle) drove forward in front of the Warrior. Under intense small arms fire, Corporal Bancroft emerged from his hatch and clambered across the roof of his vehicle, and down onto the ground to attach a towbar to the Warrior. The Warrior was recovered, with the mortally wounded driver and the soldiers still inside it. Shortly afterwards, when I was accompanying a patrol in two Warriors, I visited this s.........